Renal Insufficiency
What is Renal Insufficiency?
Renal insufficiency (Renal Failure) is a condition under which kidney starts to function inadequately. The condition may arise due to reduction in blood flow into the kidneys caused by renal artery disease. Usually, the kidneys work as a regulating agent under which it regulates the body fluid, blood pressure and also removes the organic waste. The Renal insufficiency may disrupt the functions of kidney by narrowing the arteries, which further causes artery stenosis. From person to person the syndrome may vary from acute to chronic renal insufficiency.
Chronic renal insufficiency is basically an end stage of chronic renal disease that causes a slow loss of renal function. A patient with chronic renal insufficiency often requires the dialysis treatment due to improper kidney function. Apart from this, acute renal insufficiency develops quickly with a complication of serious illness that include blood poisoning or lack of oxygen.
What are the causes of Renal Insufficiency?
Mostly, the renal insufficiency or kidney failure is caused due to other health problems which damage the kidney permanently with time. Glomerulonephritis, diabetes mellitus or high blood pressure are the main cause of chronic renal insufficiency or End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). Apart from these, some other causes that lead to Chronic Renal Insufficiency are:
- Nephrotic Syndrome
- Diseases associated with Autoimmune like Lupus and lgA nephropathy
- Urinary Tract Problems
- Polycystic Kidney Disease
On the other hand Acute Renal Insufficiency can be caused due to:
- Urinary Tract Problems
- Liver Failure
- Dehydration
- Lower Back pain
- Heart attack
- Drug abuse
- insufficient blood flow in kidney
What are the symptoms of Renal Insufficiency?
The symptoms of kidney failure can be either visible like the general ones or not present at all. Early stage of renal Insufficiency does not show any noticeable symptoms, with time a patient having kidney disease may experience:
- Persistent nausea
- Reduced amount of urinal discharge
- Seizures
- Loss of appetite
- Nose bleeding
- Muscle Twitching
- Stomach and back pain
- Confusion
- Shortness of breadth
- Swelling of feet, leg and ankle
- Pain in chest
- Fatigue or excessive drowsiness
- Comma
What are the types of Renal Insufficiency or Kidney failure?
There are five different types of kidney failure or renal insufficiency exist which are classified as Acute and Chronic Renal Insufficiency. These five kidney failure types are as follows:
- Acute prerenal kidney failure: The insufficient amount of blood flow in kidney can cause acute prerenal failure. Due to meager blood flow in kidney it stops kidney to filter toxins from the blood.
- Chronic prerenal kidney failure: When a less amount of blood flowing in kidney for a long time, it shrinks the kidney and lessen the kidney ability to function.
- Acute intrinsic kidney failure: A direct trauma or damage occurred to the kidneys that causes sudden loss in kidney function can cause intrinsic kidney failure.
- Chronic intrinsic kidney failure: Intrinsic kidney disease of a long term damage to the kidney that causes bleeding and trauma can lead to chronic intrinsic kidney failure.
- Chronic post-renal kidney failure: When an enduring blockage in urinary tract stops urinal discharge, it causes pressure and untimely chronic post-renal kidney failure.
How to diagnose Renal Insufficiency?
Renal Artery disease can usually be diagnosed with duplex ultrasound scanning or with other non-invasive tests. According to the condition the nephrologist may ask you for CT angiography or MR angiography. Apart from imagining, the test can be done through fluid test. If you are experiencing any signs or symptoms mentioned above, then urologist will suggest you several test to detect the cause, these tests include:
- Blood tests: With blood sample testing an urologist can conquer the cause of rapid rising of creatinine and urea.
- Urine output measurements: This measurement helps the doctors to determine the underlying cause of renal insufficiency. The measurement taken into accountability is of 24 hours.
- Imagining tests: Imagining tests including computerized tomography, angiography and ultrasound may help the doctors to visualize the condition of your kidney.
- Urine test: With complete analysis of urine your doctor may be able to disclose the abnormalities of kidney failure or renal insufficiency.
- Kidney sample test (Kidney Biopsy): In some circumstances an urologist may ask you for kidney biopsy. Under which a small sample of kidney tissue is needed for performing the tests.
How to treat Renal Insufficiency?
Patients with renal insufficiency having mild or moderate symptoms can be treated if they are caught at an early stage. After determining the condition of renal insufficiency, an urologist may provide you required treatment. Apart from treatment, the doctor may ask you to adapt healthy diet. A few treatments that are helpful to the patients with renal insufficiency include:
- Dialysis: The patient having severe Renal Insufficiency needed proper dialysis on time to keep themselves alive.
- Kidney Transplant: If a patient has chronic renal insufficiency or suffers renal failure, Kidney transplant is one of the only treatments that can be provided to them.
- Medications: According to the condition the Nephrologists provide required medications to the patients.
Dr. Rajesh Ranjan is one of the best nephrologist in Patna who deals with the entire complications of Kidney. Presently he is providing his services at Satyadev Super Speciality Hospital in Patna, a renowned urology hospital in Patna. The hospital is equipped with state-of-the-art technologies to deliver top-notch urological treatment. At Satyadev Super Speciality we have a great team of kidney specialist who diagnose and treat the complication of renal insufficiency.
